Yann Zopf, Director, Public Engagement; Tel.: +41 (0)79 204 1610, yann.zopf@weforum.org
Istanbul, Turkey, 28 September 2014 – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey, called for a three-pronged strategy that would ensure a no-fly zone, a safe area for people fleeing conflict in the region and a programme to train and equip groups in Syria and Iraq. The Turkish President delivered the keynote address to open the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Unlocking Resources for Regional Development, taking place in Istanbul on 28-29 September.
Welcoming the resolve of the international community to act decisively, Erdoğan called for efforts to target not just groups in Iraq but also in Syria. “Air strikes alone are not enough. There must be a ground dimension with the Iraqi army and the Pashmerga to the fore. If other countries can support that effort, so much the better”, he said.
In addition to Turkey’s efforts to protect its southern border, the President underscored the burden his country is bearing to support a refugee population that now tops 1.5 million. He noted the discrepancy between the $150 million his country has received from the international community and the much higher amount that Turkey has provided to the refugee programme.
Moussa Mara, Prime Minister of Mali, deplored the use of religion by terrorist forces. “Islam is a religion of peace and must not be seen as an instrument of terror”, he said. Calling for a concerted international response to the global cancer of terrorism, he also urged greater efforts by Islamic countries to explain Islam’s underlying precepts. “It is poverty and vulnerability that lead to terrorism, not religion,“ he said.
President Erdoğan called for changes in current international institutional arrangements which, he said, are no longer relevant in the wake of major political and economic shifts. “Things have changed since the end of the Second World War and we can no longer have five permanent members of the UN Security Council determine the fate of the world.” He suggested that a more equitable system would see all UN member countries rotate on the Council.
Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, described current arrangements as “an old system for new challenges” and said that Turkey’s remarkable development over the past 12 years warranted a bigger role in the UN. Emphasizing that he was not looking for a permanent seat for his country on the Security Council, President Erdoğan underlined his commitment to enhance Turkey’s role on the international stage, particularly on trade, energy and climate change. He has instructed Prime Minister Davutoğlu to focus his attention on domestic issues while he will devote more time to international affairs.
Notes to Editors
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